RobRae Week 2019!
by RobinxRaven writer
Summary: It's the most, most wonderful time, of the yeeeeeaaaaaar! Seven days, seven themes: "I worry about you", Kissing, Coffee vs Tea, Gotham/Azarath, Bonding/Fall, Injury/Training, and Fake Dating/Secret Identity. All focused on the best ship of all time, the love between Dick Grayson and Raven.
1. I Worry About You

Recognizing that he had fallen for her had been easy. At first, he hadn't quite been aware that he was falling for her, at first really only acknowledging that he was always aware of her when she entered into a room and that he kept a closer eye on her in combat than anyone else. But once he had a moment of clarity and realized that he was cataloging everything he'd learned about her (even after years spent with her he felt like he was only scratching the surface), keeping in mind her likes and dislikes and what she told him and the others during idle conversation, he knew.

He wanted to tell Raven, too. But he was aware of the fact that she was still coming to terms with the knowledge that she had the rest of her life to live and was still figuring out what she wanted to do with it, and that if he confessed it might push her away not because she didn't reciprocate but because she might not want to live her life for someone else, so he kept his feelings to himself and enjoyed what a friendship with her allowed.

Robin expected to _want _to tell her, of course. She made him happy in a million different small and insignificant and large and meaningful ways, and oftentimes he felt a little disappointed that all he was able to do was joke and laugh and thank her _without _saying that he loved her. And when she worried him by disappearing into her room for a few days or by keeping excessively to herself it became even more difficult, and all he could do was try talking to her under the pretense of friendship when his feelings ran so much deeper than that.

But somehow, the most mundane of situations nearly cracked his resolve and he came closer to telling her everything than he ever had before.

She found him in the common room on a Wednesday afternoon, where he was keeping an eye on the city through the Titans camera network. "I'm going to go visit Timmy, Teether, and Melvin. I'll be gone Friday and Saturday." She announced after tapping him on the shoulder.

Outwardly, Robin's expression didn't change. He just turned back to Raven and asked in a neutral tone, "How come?" because the last he'd heard, she hadn't enjoyed being forced to escort them when he'd given her the order to do so.

"Melvin's figured out how to manifest some new imaginary friend, and she wants me to meet it." Was all Raven said. "So, I just wanted to let you know ahead of time where I'll be."

Inwardly, Robin felt a slight amount of panic settle in. Briefly, only for a split second as rational thought returned and he could push that feeling away. "You should bring them here, introduce us and all that. I'm sure they'd love Beastboy's jokes." He turned away immediately upon finishing his terrible excuse to keep her home, because she was seeing right through him and he knew it.

"I really don't want them interacting with him for as long as possible." She said with a light snort. "I'll be able to get away from Beastboy for two whole days." Raven mused, inhaling as though coming to a sudden realization.

"And the rest of us." Robin added. _"Away from me."_ He thought, but couldn't say. Couldn't say that he loved her, even though he knew it and felt it and wanted to tell her everyday, wanted it to be the first thing he said to her every morning when he saw her. If it had been anyone else, he could've admitted his feelings a long time ago, but not to Raven. Things weren't so simple with her.

Raven looked at him, frowning slightly. "Only for two days."

He didn't have anything to say to that, or rather didn't know what to say back to her, but it didn't matter because she left after giving a small wave. And all day Thursday, in the back of his mind he couldn't stop hearing that nagging voice in the back of his head repeating over and over, _"She'll be gone. She'll be gone. She'll be gone."_

And even though it had only been a day since she'd told him, he found himself knocking on her door Thursday night and trying to come up with anything to say that would convince her not to go. When it opened and she stepped back to her bed, he kept to the doorway. "Are you sure you have to go?" Robin asked since it was the first thing that came to mind, leaning against the door to Raven's room with his arms crossed over his chest.

She turned to him and frowned. "They asked me to come and visit. I have no reason not to go. Besides, _I_ want to see them too. Why are you so hung up about this?" She asked, turning back into her room and continuing to pack her things into a suitcase.

"What if we need you here?" He asked, knowing that it was probably the flimsiest excuse he could come up with.

"I'm sure if something drastic goes down in the next 48 hours, I'll be made aware." She moved to her dresser and opened it.

He stood up, taking his weight off the door frame and walking into her room, which caused her to turn around when she heard the door close on its own with a hiss. "What if I need you here?" He asked, his voice low and uncertain as he closed half the distance between them.

Raven sighed, turning to face him as her face twisted into concern. She took a couple of steps towards him, stopping when there was just a few inches left between them. "What's wrong, Dick? Why do you need me here? Why does me leaving cause you such distress?" She asked quietly, raising a hand to his cheek and pulling his mask away with her powers.

"Because I worry about you." He admitted, telling her as indirectly yet as honestly as he could that he loved her, raising a hand to gently take hold of the one on his cheek and closing his eyes, lowering his head. He was worried about her safety, not because she needed to be looked after but because he couldn't rest easily without making sure she was okay with his own eyes. He worried about whether or not she would be happy, because he knew how quickly she could be upset and if he couldn't be there with her, he couldn't do anything for her and recognizing that he _wanted_ Raven to be happy had been one of the first signs that he had fallen for her.

She didn't need to be put under surveillance, he had no right to say what she was free to do and she didn't need to be guarded like some precious treasure, but if she was going to be gone, even if only for a couple of days, even if he knew she would come back and the first thing she was likely to do would be to let him know that she had returned… if she was gone, what was left for him to do except to worry?

"I'm not going anywhere dangerous." Raven tried reasoning, even though she knew that he was aware of that. But that didn't mean she couldn't feel the anxiety coming off him, saw how he had relaxed into her touch and wondered why he was acting like this. It wasn't like him to worry about her like this, nor to be worried over something as simple as her leaving for a couple of days.

He responded with a slow nod, moving his hand down and gently wrapping his fingers around her wrist where he could feel her pulse beneath his fingertips, his thumb gently stroking the back of her hand as his other hand settled on her waist and he moved a bit closer, bringing her flush with him.

Raven resisted the urge to step away, looking up at his closed eyes and taking a moment to calm herself. "And I'll call you in the evenings once I've put the kids to bed." She continued, her voice quieter because of their proximity, trying to lighten her tone and hoping that it would be enough to ease his mind.

An image of Raven reading a bedtime story that ended in 'happily ever after' came unbidden to his mind and he smiled for a second before his face fell again. He opened his eyes and raised his head slightly to meet her gaze, letting her hand go and placing it on her waist, letting his forehead touch hers gently before pulling back and letting go, suppressing the urge to shiver as her warmth faded quickly.

She took a half step towards him and grabbed his hands before she seemed to realize what she was doing, then cleared her throat and sighed. "I'll see you when I get back." She said, her voice even and back to its usual monotone as she looked to the ground.

Robin felt her start to let go of his hands, but he strengthened his grip. "When you get back, let's go out. Just the two of us, wherever you like." He gave into his impulses and finally asked, ducking his head slightly so he could look her in the eye.

Straightening, Raven tilted her head slightly before offering a small smile, barely visible in the near darkness of her room. "It's a date." She agreed, her smile widening when she saw him grin. "Now get out of my room. I need to finish packing."


	2. Kissing

When Cyborg saw that there was nearly an hour missing from the previous nights security camera footage, he spent a good chunk of his morning trying to figure out what had happened. When the tape was restored to its initial length, he pulled it up on the main screen and began watching. For a long time it was just Robin as he kept an eye on the city, so Cyborg elected to fast forward in an attempt to figure out why there was missing time. Eventually Raven came out and joined him, causing Cyborg to play the video at a normal speed. However, after a few minutes of them idly talking about nothing, he put the video on fast forward.

And then, all too suddenly, Raven had climbed on top of Robin as he retreated across the couch and kissed him.

"Woah, what in the-!?" Jaw dropping, Cyborg rewound the video and played it when he thought he'd gone back far enough to figure out what had just happened.

"Kissing is overrated." Raven's voice filled the quiet of the common room as Cyborg rested his chin in his hand.

"Oh really?" Robin asked. "How often do you get kissed?"

She frowned at his question. "I have never been kissed." Raven stated as though it should be obvious. "But I-"

"Can't decide that then." Robin interrupted.

"I-" She tried again, staring down Robin.

"Can't decide that!" He repeated, not deterred by the angry look she was giving him.

Raven reached over and put a hand over his mouth. "But the point I'm trying to make is that in movies and media and whatever, kissing is held up as the absolute pinnacle of romance in stories that do not have sex, right?" Robin looked up, then nodded at her, so Raven dropped her hand from his mouth. "However, think about how often you kiss someone if you're in a relationship. Pretty often, right? So to have movies and everything play up the significance of kissing when it happens often in a normal relationship is what makes it overrated."

"Hmm… I understand where you're coming from, but…" Robin waved his hand as he tried to put his train of thought together, "Think of it from the characters point of view, not from a realistic perspective. They've been through a lot physically and emotionally, and the feelings have been building up over the journey, so when they finally kiss it's a significant moment between the two."

"That only works in a story where the romance is well written. If it's not, then it becomes obvious the romance and the kiss was tacked on and again, overrated." Raven argued.

"So you agree that in a well written story the kiss is earned and satisfying?" Robin challenged.

"My original point was not about the story leading up to the kiss, but rather that kissing in and of itself is played up. Which it is, even in stories where I think the kiss is earned." Raven countered. "The violins, the camera panning, and the way _every_ couple is breathless after the kiss even though on average they only kiss for about two seconds before pulling back… Pfft. It's all samey and takes me out of the story rather than drawing out any sort of emotion from me other than annoyance."

"Yeah, well... I still say you can't decide if kissing is overrated because you've never been kissed. That's like saying, 'I think so and so food is bad even though I've never eaten it before', you know?" Robin said, shaking his head.

Raven frowned at him and leaned over. "Okay then, kiss me."

Cyborg had to pause the video and rub his eyes. He couldn't believe that such a simple argument had led to what he'd seen on tape. Sighing, unsure whether to continue since he'd seen where it would end up, he pressed play but kept his hand on the pause button in case anything happened that he didn't want to see. "I see why Robin tried scrubbing the tape." He muttered to himself.

"W-w-what?" Robin immediately leaned back and even on the video Cyborg could see his face turning red.

"You have a flimsy excuse to try and void my point." Raven continued leaning forward, bracing herself on one hand that came to rest on the couch to Robin's left. "So unless you want to try and come up with a better argument or admit defeat, kiss me."

"Wait!" Robin scooted back a few inches, but Raven followed him. "It wouldn't be the same. As in the movies, you… know…"

"Sure it would be. We've been through a lot together, no?" Raven asked.

"Uh, yeah but-" Robin took a moment to clear his throat but was interrupted by Raven.

"And we're close. Closer than best friends, even." She continued.

"Right, but-"

Raven put one hand on the back of the couch behind Robin. "And you think I'm attractive, right?"

"Gee, who knew Raven could be so aggressive?" Cyborg muttered to himself.

"Y-NO! Wait, I meant- look, it's just-" Robin had scooted back to the edge of the couch, and when he tried to place his hand down where he thought the cushion was, it went off the edge and he fell onto his back. Raven took the opportunity to place one hand on his chest and kept him from moving. One of her legs slipped in between his, and there was just a few inches of space left between their faces.

"So what's it going to be, Boy Blunder?"

Cyborg snickered at the play on his leaders nickname, despite the situation unfolding.

"We're not dating Raven, so it wouldn't be right for us to kiss." Robin said, his voice closer to its usual tone than it had been a moment ago.

"This has nothing to do with dating, right, or wrong." She replied. "You say my opinion is invalid because I've never been kissed, so unless you want to admit _you _were wrong…" She trailed off when his hands came to rest at the small of her back.

Cyborg groaned and looked away as Raven dipped down and closed the distance between them. "She's a grown woman, she can make her own decisions…" He mumbled. After about a minute had passed, he looked to the screen and saw that the two were still engaged in their activity, the only thing that had changed was where their hands were situated on each other. He stood up and was about to stop the tape when the two suddenly broke apart.

"Okay-" Raven said breathlessly, "-I think you may have had a point."

"About wh- I told you so!" Robin exclaimed as he sat up.

Raven nodded slowly as she leaned back into the couch. "I have a compromise." She said suddenly after a moment of silence while Robin ran a hand through his hair to straighten it. "Kissing a person is better than watching a kiss play out."

"...Sure. I'll agree with that." Robin muttered, as he took a deep breath. He sat up suddenly, and looked right at the camera. "Oh no!"

Cyborg started laughing, falling back down onto the couch as Raven realized it too and the tape ended suddenly. "They are not gonna hear the end of this." Cyborg promised as he saved the video and sent it to himself.


	3. Coffee vs Tea

The only thing Raven enjoyed about coffee was the way it smelled. No matter what type of grounds were used, it always smelled nice to her. She never partook of the drink herself however; upon coming to Earth and being offered a cup from Robin one slow morning, she discovered that it made it more difficult for her to keep her powers in check and as such stuck to her various teas since tea had the opposite effect on her, helping her stay calm, relaxed, and focused throughout the day.

But there was one other thing about coffee Raven liked: if she could smell it in the common room in the mornings, that meant Robin was home and seeing a near full pot of coffee in the kitchen helped set her mind at ease. Waking up to the smell of coffee coming from the common room let her know that he was nearby, that she would see him soon. Raven knew he needed the coffee in the mornings; he may have woken up early in order to get a head start on the day, but that didn't mean he was useful in the slightest until at least one cup had been downed.

However, the scent of coffee in the evenings never bode well for Raven. If he was making coffee at any point past noon, that meant Robin was pushing himself when he should be resting. If she could smell coffee in the evenings, that meant she would be making tea because she wasn't going to let him go at it alone and she needed to be relaxed and focused for the night ahead.

For Robin, smelling tea meant that Raven was either about to meditate or she was relaxing with a good book in her room. He remembered how he spent an entire afternoon listening to her talk about teas and their various uses, how she'd told him that the reason for talking to him about the subject was because he'd off handedly told her why he drank coffee after giving her a cup of joe one morning long ago.

Raven liked to drink tea leisurely, so if he could see the teapot on the stove getting ready to boil, if he saw a cup in her hand then that meant she was content in that quiet way she was known to be. That's why he made a note to always check the pantry and make sure she was never running low, because if she needed one tea or the other but couldn't get it… she may only be slightly upset, but any way he could help her avoid an unpleasant moment in the day was one where he was happy.

She sometimes had milk for breakfast and often drank water in the evenings in place of soda, but he knew that her favourite tea was chamomile with a spoonful of honey. She'd offered him a small sip out of her mug once and he had to agree that it was probably his favourite too, so he knew that when he saw her adding honey to her tea that she was in a particularly good mood.

The only thing that coffee and tea had in common for the both of them was that it was most often consumed in the mornings, and sometimes in the evening. Tea was better for the evenings when they needed to unwind after a stressful battle or long day where the Titans were grinding each others gears, and coffee helped them both to greet the day in different ways, but the one unspoken truth about the two drinks was that only Robin knew how Raven liked her tea, and only Raven knew how to prepare his coffee for him. Neither of them had been trying to learn this detail about each other, but after spending so much time together in the breakfast nook in the mornings or on the couch in the evenings, it was a detail they had both picked up on.

Coffee and Tea meant different things to both of them, but it was just one more way they had gotten to know each other over the years.


	4. Gotham or Azarath

There came a knock at her door and Raven noted with some subdued amusement that even if she hadn't been able to sense that it was him out in the hall, she would've known anyway because Robin was the only one who waited for her to come to the door and answer it. Beastboy had never knocked and that still hadn't changed even after all the times she'd asked him too, Starfire opened the door slightly to make sure Raven was there and then barged in, and Cyborg knocked first before entering. But Robin was the only one who waited for her to come to the door and open it, provided he wasn't coming to her room for some emergency. Ironic, because of all the people in the Tower, he was the only one who didn't need to ask permission first. "Come in." She called out, too tired to want to stand and talk to him.

Robin stepped through into her room, holding a steaming mug of tea in his right hand. "I brought you this." He said, setting it down on the bedside table as he crossed the room. When all she did was nod slowly without saying anything, keeping her gaze on her blankets, he sat down on the edge of her bed. "Anything you want to talk about?" He asked, revealing the real reason he had come to visit.

There was still a single moment even after all this time where Raven did not want to tell him the truth, but he knew something was wrong and she knew there was no point in keeping things from him, especially when she knew that she only had to ask and he wouldn't go telling the others. "I was thinking about Azarath." She admitted quietly. She didn't know what else to say, and so braced herself for his next question because she knew that simply thinking about her old home would not be enough of an answer for him.

"You don't really talk about it." He pointed out, and Raven guessed it was because he must've found it weird for her to be thinking about a place she never spoke of.

"I spent most of my life there sequestered into one temple where I learned to control my powers. I don't have much to say about it." She said truthfully. At his frown she added, "Once it was determined that my powers are fueled by emotions, I was almost never allowed to go out or to interact with anyone who wasn't teaching me about self control. You know how emotional kids can be." She turned to look at the wall. "Maybe it wasn't the nicest thing to do, but I understood why they did it."

He looked like he wanted to argue the point, but decided against it and his expression softened. "So, how come you're thinking about it?"

Raven sighed and closed her eyes. "My mother's birthday is next week."

"And I take it she lives in Azarath." Robin deduced with a nod.

Pushing back into her headboard and looking up at the roof of her ceiling, Raven pulled the blankets up to her chin. "Azarath was destroyed a couple of years ago. My mother passed away then." She closed her eyes as she felt the emotions rolling off him; the suddenness of the realization, the understanding, the undercurrent of sorrow, and then the settling of it all. When he was silent for longer than she thought he'd be, she opened her eyes and looked at him.

He was focused on her, sitting still enough that he might've been mistaken for a statue. Finally he asked, "Was there anything special you did for her on her birthday?"

Unable to hide the smile at the memories brought up by his question, she nodded. "She would often tell me stories of what Earth was like, so when I was little I would draw pictures for her based on what she told me." She let out a tired laugh before continuing. "Imagine having no idea what a diner or a movie theatre is, and yet trying to draw them anyway."

Robin shook his head and she could see him smiling in the low light of her room. "Did you ever get close?"

"Actually, having been to a shopping mall after attempting to draw one, I can say that what I had drawn was pretty spot on." Raven answered. "A crowded building with lots of merchandise in the windows."

A silence fell between them for a moment before he asked, "Do you still draw?"

With a wave of her hand, a sketchbook flew out of the closet and landed in Robin's lap.

Turning to the first page, he saw that Raven had drawn the Titans Tower with the skyline of Jump City in the background. On the back of the page Robin saw a message, _"This is where I'll be staying now that I've made it to Earth. I've joined a crime fighting team known as the Titans. We make a weird group."_ He turned the page and saw that Raven had drawn the team standing in the common room. _"The tall metal man is Cyborg. He's been looking out for me more than anybody. The girl is an alien called Starfire. I didn't like her at first, but we've gotten closer over time. The green boy is a shapeshifter called Beastboy. He's annoying, but I think he's finally beginning to understand boundaries and what they mean. The boy in the mask is Robin, he's the leader of our group."_

Not sure whether to be annoyed or not at Raven's simplistic description for him, he turned to the next drawing which he recognized it immediately. _"This is where I met my friends a couple of years ago. We come here after defeating a villain to celebrate, even though we end up arguing about the last slice everytime too."_ The Titans were drawn sitting around the last slice of pizza, each with a smile drawn on them. He smiled lightly, noting that the situation she had drawn was never one to be happy about, before turning the page.

At first, he thought Raven had drawn a portrait of herself, because the girl in the drawing had the same purple hair and eyes, as well as the red gem in the center of her forehead. But upon closer inspection, he saw that it was of someone else entirely. Firstly, the woman had fair white skin, whereas Raven had drawn herself in the previous picture with her natural gray skin tone. The woman's face was also sharper and more lean, giving an impression that she was older than Raven was. She was also wearing a white cloak, in contrast to Raven's blue. But the thing that stuck out the most was the amount of effort spent on the picture. It was clear from the smudges and not quite faded lines that she'd spent a lot of time outlining and erasing in pencil before finally tracing in pen and colouring. Turning the page over to look at the inscription on the back, his shoulders fell.

_Angela Roth_

_1974-2005_

For a moment, he just sat and stared, realizing that her mother must've been very young when Raven was conceived, definitely in her teenage years. "How'd she end up in Azarath?" He asked gently, shifting so he was looking at her.

"She told me that she was in need of help, so the people of Azar took her in. I never learned the exact details, but I know it had something to with my father, and with me. The people of Azar were the ones that had imprisoned Trigon in the past, so I'm sure they'd been aware of his plans because they'd dealt with him in the past." Raven answered with a light shrug. "She was happier there than she'd ever been on Earth, in any case."

While she unfurled the covers and reached over to grab the tea that Robin had brought in, he turned to the next page, eyes widening a little in surprise.

The drawing was of him and Raven, but unlike her usual outfit Raven had drawn herself with a white cloak and long hair. Turning to the back of the page, he expected to find a message written there but found only a blank page.

"I haven't decided what to write to her." Raven said quietly. "I have no idea how to tell her that I overcame my destiny and saved the world." She set the mug down to the side and leaned forward to rest her elbows on top of her knees, burying her face in her hands. "You know, I asked her to come with me to Earth, but she said there was nothing there for her anymore." Her breath hitched, and Robin set the sketchbook behind them on the bed and gently pulled her into his arms. "I wish I hadn't been so resigned to my fate." She said, trying to keep her voice steady. "If I'd tried harder to convince her, she'd be here right now."

Robin just held onto her as she tried to not to cry, recognizing the pain she was feeling. Not a day went by where he didn't regret not telling someone that he thought he'd seen someone tampering with the wires before his parents last performance, and he knew that there was no way to truly make the pain of losing a parent go away. "You know she would've been proud of you." He glanced to the side where he saw the sketchbook. "And I think it's nice that you keep this tradition going in memory of her."

"It was the one of the few things we did as a family." She told him. "We never celebrated my birthday and I wasn't allowed to attend any Azarathian events, so it's really the only thing I can do." Raven moved and wrapped her arms around him, leaning into the embrace.

Adjusting a little so he could hold her better, Robin had to hold back a sigh. He'd been interested in learning more about Azarath for a long time, because it was part of Raven's past and he wanted to know her better, but after learning more about the way she'd been treated, even if it was just a little bit, he understood better why Raven never brought it up. He held back that sigh because he knew that Raven had been treated better here on Earth, and because he could tell that she was upset at the destruction of her childhood home despite the way she'd been treated.

Raven gave him a squeeze and then let go, pulling back and standing up. "Thanks for bringing me the tea." She said, receiving a nod. "I'm gonna go get some fresh air."

"Alright. I'll see you in the morning, Rae."


	5. Bonding or Fall

Raven bolted upright in bed, gasping as she hugged herself, her hands rushing to her legs, sides, and face before she quickly glanced down at the bed, where the covers had been kicked down to her feet and were halfway to the floor. She took a deep breath, held it, then exhaled slowly before standing up and grabbing a cloak out of closet. She took a quick glance at her alarm and was surprised to see that she'd only been asleep for a few hours; it wasn't even midnight yet. Clearing her throat, she stepped into the hallway and headed towards the kitchen to get a glass of water.

It wasn't surprising to find Robin on the couch, monitoring the city with a cup of coffee in front of him. "Anything interesting happen?" She called out as she stepped to the kitchen, opening the cabinet and grabbing a glass out. She saw him shrug and shake his head, and so grabbed ice out of the freezer and water from the sink before she made her way to the couch and sat down next to him. Pulling her legs up underneath her, she took a drink before setting the glass down on the coffee table next to Robin's coffee and then twisted her cloak to form a blanket around herself.

"How come you're up? I thought you went to bed already."

"I had one of those dreams where you're free falling and wake up before you hit the ground." She explained. "I'll go back to bed soon." She closed her eyes and took in another deep breath, exhaling slowly.

Robin nodded, looking at her from the corner of his eye. "Those dreams suck." He stated bluntly, receiving a chuckle in response. For a few minutes there was relative silence between them, until Robin said, "We may not be able to help you in your dreams, but we'll catch you if you ever fall while awake." Raven turned to him, and he shrugged. "You know. Starfire and Beastboy can fly, but if they can't grab you out of the air, Cyborg and I will be there on the ground for you."

"How reassuring." She drawled. Reaching forward to take another drink, Raven stood and stretched, yawning as she did so. Then, she put the drink down on the coffee table, crossed her arms in an x over her chest, and fell backwards towards him.

Reacting immediately because he was looking at her, Robin caught her before she could fall far enough to hit the floor. He frowned and raised a brow at her, then lifted her a little so she was standing upright.

Picking up the half full glass of water, Raven smoothed her cloak with her free hand and said, "Just checking." Before giving a small wave and walking out of the room.


	6. Injury or Training

Cyborg stepped into the hall and his attention was immediately drawn to the black and blue uniform that clashed with the white walls around them. "...Raven? Raven." He was about to lean down and tap her shoulder when she looked up, pushing her hair out of her face with both hands. "Alright, I've given him some painkillers. He's got several bruised ribs, but other than that he's fine. Are you centered enough to-" He gestured with his hands in an obvious attempt to mimic her when she healed one of the others when they were injured, "-You know." He lowered his hands and cleared his throat; he'd learned by now to read the subtle expressions she showed and right now a blind man could see she was upset.

"Is he awake?" She asked, making a conscious effort to keep her voice steady as she looked at the closed door behind Cyborg.

"Yeah. He woke up a few minutes ago, so he's still kind of out it." Cyborg informed her, rubbing the back of his neck. When she just nodded without saying, he mumbled, "Okay, well… I'm gonna go replace my damaged parts." Despite being perfectly okay, and left towards the elevator.

For a couple of minutes, Raven stood still as she focused on trying to keep her emotions in check, and then with a sigh, opened the door to the infirmary and made her way to his bedside. Robin's shirt, gloves, mask, and utility belt had been stripped off, leaving him dressed only from the waist down. The bruised purple skin on his chest stood out in the afternoon light spilling in from the window, and later she would convince herself that she looked to his eyes because his gaze was on her and not because she couldn't bear the sight for very long.

"You okay?"

Raven scoffed and immediately raised her hands, letting the pale blue glow surround them as she focused on healing him. "You're the one in the bed and you're asking me that?" She asked sharply. He hissed as her cold hands met his injured skin, and his head fell back into the pillow as his eyes shut.

Somehow, it didn't surprise him to hear the tone she'd used. "I asked Cyborg if he was okay too." He grunted out in a lazy attempt to defuse the situation before things got out of hand. Even though Cyborg had given him painkillers a few minutes ago, the effects of Raven's magic meant he could still feel his injuries healing as they were accelerated into a state of normalcy, which meant that the painkillers weren't doing much.

"I'm fine." She said quietly, closing her eyes as the pads of her fingers spread out across his chest and her palms flattened out gently against his skin as she lowered her hands. "I would've been fine either way." She added impulsively. "You shouldn't have pushed me out of the way of that hit."

"You left yourself open." Robin replied after a moment, opting for the logical route.

"What difference does that make?" Raven snapped at him and took her hands off his injures as the magic faded from them, and she stood up straight to glare at him. "You _know_ I would've been fine. I could've taken that hit and been back in the fight in just a few moments, but you-" The moment replayed itself in her mind against her will; how she'd been roughly shoved to the side and when she'd regained her balance after the shock had worn off and she'd turned back around ready to fight, all she'd seen was Robin on the ground in her place. "You could've said something to warn me so neither of us got hurt, but you just had to go and play the hero." Raven grit her teeth and placed her hands back on his wounds, trying to listen to that voice in her head that was telling her not to be illogically angry at him for protecting her.

Robin laughed, but winced immediately even though the tired smile didn't leave his face. "That has nothing to with it."

She shook her head slowly and said, "Fine then. Tell me what the real, stupid reason was, because I can't figure out why you'd willingly throw away your life for my sake."

"I love you." Robin lifted himself onto his elbows with a grunt and took hold of her left hand in his, lacing their fingers together. "So I'm going to keep you safe from harm, even if it means-" He inhaled sharply as he fell back onto the bed as a wave of pain washed over him. "As long as you're safe, that's all that matters." He finished on a whisper, closing his eyes as silence filled the room and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. It felt so soft and warm in his, and he stroked her thumb softly, trying to take every small detail about the event while he could.

All too soon she flexed her fingers softly and he had to let go, and when he opened his eyes to see her reaction, if there was anything there, she'd already turned back to his injuries and the soft, ambient sound of her magic filled the room. He turned back to the ceiling so Raven was in his peripheral, and sighed quietly.

"If you love me… shouldn't you be trying to give me peace of mind instead of worrying me?" She asked a few minutes later, her voice closer to its usual monotone than earlier.

Robin smiled, because her question had been so innocent that it reminded him that she'd never been confessed to before and had probably been trying to figure out what to say. "Yeah, I should." He agreed. There was a pause as he laughed quietly before continuing. "But it's a vicious circle. I don't want to see you hurt, you don't want to see me hurt… There's nothing we can do except get better." He shrugged as best he could while laying down. "Then we can have peace of mind."

"I get… that you want to keep me safe, but if you throw away your life for me-" Her words caught in her throat and she had to take a moment to compose herself before continuing. "I'll have to live with that for the rest of me life. We both know you're less durable than I am, so-" She was about to say 'don't take a hit for me when it could kill you', but she could already sense him getting ready to argue and faltered. "Just promise me you'll live." She asked instead with a sigh, suddenly realizing that there was nothing she could say to change how he would act.

"I promise." He answered, so immediate and serious that Raven burst into quiet laughter, making him grin and laugh with her. They fell back into another comfortable silence as she continued healing him and a little while later, she stood up and stretched her arms over head then bringing her hands together and popping her knuckles.

As he looked at her hands, he tried to push away the thought that she hadn't addressed his confession, or at least she hadn't said anything about how deep her feelings for him ran in return. He stood up with the intention to grab his uniform and put it back on, but a hand on his chest stopped him. Before he could look at Raven to ask what she was doing, she stepped forward and hugged him, her arms circled around his chest and she tucked her head beneath his chin. It was as natural for him to return the hug as it was for him to breathe, and he closed his eyes as they stood together for a while. Then, Raven pulled back slightly, enough for her to be able to look into his eyes and cupped his cheek with one hand, gently turning his face as he leaned into her touch and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek, letting her lips hover there for a few seconds before she pulled away completely.

"I need to rest. Fighting and healing has taken a lot out of me." She murmured.

"I'll see you at dinner." He said with a nod, offering a small smile when she looked up at him before turning and leaving. When the door closed after her and he was left alone, Robin looked at the ground before remembering that he was only half dressed and went to put his uniform on while he thought about the fact that he'd just been kissed, and wondered when it would happen again and if he'd get to kiss Raven back next time.


	7. Fake Dating or Secret Identity

Raven's day had been ruined before it even began. As a matter of fact, when she'd been told the details of the mission she would have to prepare for, there had been a moment where she'd nearly teleported to another city so she wouldn't have to go through with it at all. If Robin hadn't told her that they'd be going undercover together, she definitely would have. It had been the one silver lining to an otherwise bad situation... Which wasn't saying much in and of itself. She would only see Robin twice in the day; during lunch and then during world history for her last "class" of the day. The rest of the day she'd have to put up with everything on her own. And a lot had gone wrong during the lead up to lunch.

Which made it all the more infuriating for her when she finally spotted him in the cafeteria, casually chatting with three girls who had surrounded him. For a moment she was confused, then it was quickly replaced with anger when she saw one of the girls reach out and place her hand on his shoulder while they all laughed. She grit her teeth and forced a smile. "Hey, Richard!" She called out with an enthusiastic wave, walking over and and then pulling him down and kissing him with an exaggerated 'mwah'.

"Hey! No PDA." Some teacher shouted from nearby. Raven pulled back and was about to shoot whoever told her that a dirty look and then kiss Robin again just to be spiteful, but the giggling of the gaggle of girls that had been her original focus stopped her.

"Well, I guess we'll talk later, Dick." One of the girls said, giving a wave and walking away with the other two in tow. Neither of them missed the dirty look one of the girls directed over her shoulder at Raven.

Robin smiled and waved back, then turned to Raven with a raised brow. "You know we're supposed to be keeping a low profile here, right?" He asked as she stepped around the table and sat across from him. "What was that about?"

"What were you doing?" She asked instead, ignoring his question altogether.

There was a moment of silence before he responded. "Information gathering." He said seriously. When she just continued to give him an annoyed stare, he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Ooooooh, I'm great!" She replied as sarcastically as she could. "Ask me how my day has been."

Looking around and then leaning forward to rest his arms on the table, he asked, "How's your day been?"

"Fantastic. I forgot what the cover story was when I was asked about where I'm from in first period, so I had to make something up. Then I tried to text you so I wouldn't have to lie again and the teacher took my phone from me. Now my parents have to came and pay fifteen dollars to get it back." She frowned deeply when he tried to hide his smile. "So Cy is going to have to make me a new one if I can't steal it back. Then I forgot my locker combination and had to go get it from the front office, which made me late to my second period class, which got me this." She pulled out an orange slip and unfolded it, throwing it onto the table. "Now I have to stay after school and sit in detention for half an hour. I've been told to pay attention five different times, I've had two guys try to flirt with me in the hallway, and then I walk in here and _you _look like you're having the time of your life. That's how my day has been." Raven sighed and closed her eyes. "If one more thing goes wrong I'm going to flip out."

Robin wanted to ask why her reaction to seeing him talk to a bunch of girls was to kiss him, but opted against it to reach forward and gently take hold of her wrist. "Sorry to hear about all that." Raven nodded twice but otherwise didn't react, and he sighed lightly. "Look, I don't want to be here either. I don't want to pretend to be interested in the stuff those girls were going on about or put forth effort into my classes-" He scoffed and Raven smirked, "-but we tried to investigate from the other angle and it got us nowhere."

"I just don't understand why I'm the one here. Cyborg went undercover at H.I.V.E., and Beastboy would probably fit in better. One of those two should be here instead of me. I don't know anything about being a student." Raven moved her hand and it slid into his.

He held still for a moment, and then gently gave her hand a squeeze. "Look, if really you want to back out of this, you can. Beastboy can continue to scout around in animal form and I can-"

"No, I can do this." She cut him off, glancing down at the holographic ring Cyborg had made to give her fair skin and dark brown hair. "I wouldn't want to disappoint the girl who brought this to our attention." Raven thought of said girl who'd approached them while out eating a few weeks ago and told them that students had been disappearing with no explanation. Then Robin had followed up on it and after keeping an eye on the school, decided that they needed to go undercover so they could figure out exactly what was going on. "Any ideas on how we're going to get to the bottom of this other than hoping to be in the right place at the right time?"

"Socialize. Try and find out what you can from your classmates. That's what I've been doing." There was a ding and Robin pulled out his phone. "I might have suggested trying to flirt to get info, but now half the school thinks we're dating." He turned his phone to her, where there was a picture of their kiss from a moment ago. "So I guess now we're gonna have to pretend to be lovers while we're here."

At first Raven had been about to ask who'd taken the photo (and why they'd sent it to him), but at his flat tone she'd slumped back into the cold plastic of her seat, taking her hand out of his. "Well don't sound so excited."

He blinked, but when the realization dawned on him, Robin immediately leaned forward. "I didn't mean it like that." He said softly, before quickly clearing his throat and returning to a normal tone. "It's just that I've only been here one day and Dick Grayson, the ward of Bruce Wayne already has a girlfriend? It's gonna draw unnecessary attention to us."

"Well then, aren't I lucky?" She replied, glancing around the cafeteria and when she saw some other students quickly look away from them, she reached forward and took his hand again. "There's nothing we can do about it now." She said on a whisper. "So let's just try and work with it. I'll try and give you a better heads up next time I go to give you a kiss, alright?"

"Maybe we should go someplace secluded and practice first. You were way too forceful just now." Robin said with a neutral tone, as though he were giving her a tip during combat practice.

"I was not." She said defensively.

"You definitely were." He said assuredly.

"No, I wasn't. A kiss is a kiss, whether it's passionate or gentle or 'forceful', as you put it. I was simply playing the part of an excited girlfriend who hasn't seen her boyfriend all day." Raven said.

"The boyfriend you've only had for one day." Robin pointed out.

Raven sighed. "Yes, the boyfriend I've only had for one day." She repeated. "But at least we know each other well enough to pretend and make it seem believable to anyone who might be observing us."

"That's true." He conceded. And then all the memories he had of himself and Raven jumped to the front of his mind and he almost second guessed what her true intentions were, but he pushed the thought away. _"It won't be the worst thing in the world."_ He thought to himself, _"Being close to Raven like this. Even if it isn't real."_ He snorted to himself when he glanced down at the table and when he looked back up and saw the confused glance he said, "People are going to think I'm into bad girls. Getting detention on your first day, texting in class, ignoring the PDA rule…" He started laughing at Raven's offended look. "Who knew you were such a rebel?"

"I hate school." Raven mumbled.


End file.
